New ‘Thor 2′ Pics Show Off Old Friends and New Villains

Now that 'Iron Man 3' has arrived and made all of the money in the world, it's time for Marvel fans to turn their attention to 'Thor 2,' which is six long months away. We've already seen a trailer and a poster, but much of the film still remains shrouded in mystery. Today we get a bunch of new 'Thor 2' pics, but do they shed more light on what we can expect?

Nah, not really...but they're pretty cool.

The photos come straight from Marvel and provide a nice mixture of dramatic shots and behind-the-scenes goodness. The first features Chris Hemsworth's superhero/Norse god looking very serious on the battlefield alongside friend and fellow warrior Sif (Jaimie Alexander). The second gives us our best look yet at the minions of chief villain Malekith. The third and fourth show off Hemsworth between takes, posing the for camera and chatting with director Alan Taylor. And the last is our best shot yet of Malekith himself. With rumors of a major death in 'Thor 2,' is this the man who will be the killer?

Here's the official synopsis for the film:

Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World" continues the big screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel's "Thor" and "Marvel's The Avengers," Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.